Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Rodw (talk | contribs) at 20:54, 27 February 2018 (Disambiguating links to Department of Defense (disambiguation) (link changed to United States Department of Defense) using DisamAssist.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "Mac Thornberry" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Mac Thornberry
Chair of the House Armed Services Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Buck McKeon
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Bill Sarpalius
Personal details
Born	William McClellan Thornberry (1958-07-15) July 15, 1958 (age 66) Clarendon, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Sally Thornberry
Education	Texas Tech University (BA) University of Texas at Austin (JD)

William McClellan "Mac" Thornberry (born July 15, 1958) is the U.S. Representative from the Texas Panhandle. He has served since 1995, when the House seated its first Republican majority in 40 years, and signed the "Contract with America" authored by then Speaker Newt Gingrich.

A Republican, Thornberry represents Texas's 13th congressional district, a GOP stronghold that stretches between the Oklahoma and New Mexico borders.

Early life, education and career

In the 1880s, Thornberry's great-great-grandfather Amos Thornberry, a Union Army veteran, moved to Clay County, just east of Wichita Falls.

Thornberry is a lifelong resident of Clarendon, 60 miles (97 km) east of Amarillo in the heart of the 13th. His family has operated a ranch in the area since 1881. He received his Bachelor of Arts in history from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He then obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin.

He served as a staffer to two other Texas Republican congressmen, Tom Loeffler and Larry Combest, and as deputy assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs under Ronald Reagan before joining his brothers on the family ranch. Thornberry has called President Reagan "...a great man and a great president, ranking in the top tier of all of our chief executives." He also practiced law in Amarillo.

Thornberry is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

Committee on Armed Services (Chairman)

Republican Study Committee

Thornberry serves as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, the first Texan of either party to hold this position. The committee oversees the Pentagon, all military services, and all Department of Defense agencies, including agency budgets and policies.

Thornberry lost his 2009 bid to chair the full Armed Services Committee to Buck McKeon, R-Calif., who had more seniority. He served as vice chair of the full committee during McKeon's time as chairman. Since taking the committee gavel at the beginning of the 114th Congress, Thornberry has spearheaded a major Department of Defense acquisition reform effort that has received bipartisan and bicameral support from House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ).

Thornberry previously served on the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Tenure and political positions

According to the National Journal Congressional Almanac, "In the House, Thornberry has compiled a solidly conservative voting record, though he has a pragmatic streak and is hardly the most ideological Republican in the Texas delegation. In keeping with his scholarly nature, his official website includes an essay explaining his philosophy and explaining his interest 'in continuing to push government to work smarter and more efficiently.'"

From January 1995 to July 2017, Thornberry missed 140 of 15,276 roll call votes, or 0.9%, fewer than the median of 2.2% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving.

Foreign policy

Thornberry was critical of President Obama’s 2010 arms control deal with Russia for precluding the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear nations. But he has been more pragmatic than other defense hawks. He served on a bipartisan commission in 2007 that drew up recommendations for winning the war in Iraq with both lethal and non-lethal approaches, such as diplomacy and foreign aid.

Taxation

On domestic issues, Thornberry has pressed for repeal of the estate tax and for tax credits to encourage production of oil in marginal wells.

Other

In 2010 Thornberry sponsored a bill to expand access to state veterans’ homes to parents whose children died while serving in the military. That bill became law. In January 2011 he introduced a bill to help states set up special health care courts staffed by judges with expertise in the subject. The judges would serve as an alternative to juries that Republicans say are inclined to award unnecessarily large damage amounts in malpractice cases.

Term limits

Thornberry has consistently voted for term limits for U.S. Representatives, but does not intend to term-limit himself until a constitutional amendment is passed that imposes term limits on all members of Congress.

Agriculture and farm bill

Thornberry has pressed the house to pass a farm bill every five years in order to give farmers and ranchers more stability. In 2013 he voted for the five-year Farm Bill, which included annual cuts of $2 billion from food stamps, which would have been the largest change to food policy since 1996. The House did not pass the bill.

Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012

In 2012 Thornberry introduced the Smith-Mundt Modernation Act of 2012 to amend the 1948 Smith-Mundt Act prohibiting the domestic dissemination of propaganda produced for foreign audiences.

Energy and climate change

In 2013 Thornberry introduced H.R. 2081, legislation to encourage production of all forms of domestic energy, including oil and gas, nuclear, and alternative energy and fuels.

Thornberry has voted to open the Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling. He has voted to bar the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases. He has voted against tax credits for renewable electricity.

In July 2015, the President signed highway funding extension legislation into law. It included a provision based on a liquefied natural gas (LNG) excise tax bill, H.R. 905, that Thornberry introduced with Rep. John Larson (D-CT). The federal excise tax on LNG and diesel has been set at 24.3 cents per gallon. Because it takes 1.7 gallons of LNG to produce the same amount of energy as a gallon of diesel fuel, LNG is being taxed 70 percent higher than diesel. The new law "levels the playing field" by applying the excise tax to LNG and diesel based on the amount of energy each produces, which is how it is applied to Compressed Natural Gas and gasoline.

Cybersecurity

In 2011, House Speaker John Boehner selected Thornberry to lead an initiative on cybersecurity to combat the growing national security and economic threat. The task force was composed of representatives from nine committees with jurisdiction over cyber issues. The panel recommended reforming a range of current laws, including the 2002 Federal Information Security Management Act, which governs government security programs.

In a 2012 column for Federal News Radio, Thornberry wrote, "If we can get an information sharing bill to the President, however, Congress should not consider their work done. We still have larger issues to grapple with, such as the role of the Department of Homeland Security and whether some industries will require a regulatory nudge to improve their network standards." That year, the House passed comprehensive cybersecurity legislation, but the Senate failed to act on any of it.

Drugs

In 2015, Thornberry introduced H.R. 1186, the Synthetic Abuse and Labeling Toxic Substances (SALTS) Act, which would make it easier for law enforcement officials to take action against synthetic drug manufacturers, distributors, and sellers by closing a loophole that makes it difficult to prosecute them if they label packages as “not intended for human consumption.”

Interest group ratings

• In 2012, the American Conservative Union Ratings of Congress gave Thornberry a 96% rating for the year. He has a lifetime score of 95%.
• The National Right to Life Committee has consistently scored Thornberry at 100%.
• The American Family Association, Christian Coalition of America, and Family Research Council have all consistently given Thornberry a 100% rating on family and marriage issues.
• The National Rifle Association gave Thornberry a lifetime rating of 92% on 2nd Amendment and gun rights issues.
• Gun Owners of America gave Thornberry a score of 90% on 2nd Amendment and gun rights issues.
• The Disabled American Veterans and Vietnam Veterans of America have both given Thornberry a 100% score on veteran issues.
• Both the Fleet Reserve Association and Non Commissioned Officers Association have given Thornberry a 100% score military issues.
• The American Farm Bureau gave Thornberry a 94% score in 2011 on agricultural issues.

Political campaigns

Thornberry defeated Democratic Congressman Bill Sarpalius in the 1994 general election, a heavily Republican year nationwide. He polled 79,416 votes (55 percent) to Sarpalius's 63,923 votes (44 percent). Two years earlier in a much higher-turnout election, Sarpalius received nearly double the votes that he did in 1994. The 13th has always been a somewhat conservative district, but on paper had been made somewhat less Republican in the 1990s redistricting. For this reason, Thornberry's victory was regarded as an upset.

Thornberry has never faced another contest nearly as close as his initial one, and has been reelected 10 times, never with less than 67 percent of the vote. While voters in this region began splitting their tickets as early as the 1940s, Democrats continued to hold most local offices well into the 1990s. Thornberry's win began a wave of Republican victories in this region, and it is now reckoned as one of the most Republican districts in the nation. In 2013 the Cook Partisan Voting Index rated it the most Republican district in the country (R+32).

Thornberry is only the third Republican to represent the district for a full term since Reconstruction. The previous Republican representatives were Robert D. "Bob" Price of Pampa (1967–75) and Beau Boulter of Amarillo (1985–89).

In the 2006 and 2008 elections, Thornberry handily defeated former intelligence officer and professor Roger Waun.

In the 2012 Republican primary, Thornberry overwhelmed his lone opponent, Pamela Lee Barlow, 47,251 votes (78 percent) to 13,643 (22 percent). In the general election, Thornberry bested (91 percent) Libertarian John Robert Deek of Denton and Green Party candidate Keith F. Houston of Canyon (there was no Democratic candidate).

In the 2014 Republican primary, Thornberry easily won re-nomination, with 45,097 votes (68 percent) to challengers Pamela Barlow's 12,438 (19 percent) and Elaine Hays's 8,860 (13 percent).

General election results

References

1. ^ "Mac Thornberry". www.nationaljournal.com. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-08-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. "THORNBERRY, William McClellan (Mac) - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
4. CUNNINGHAMgreg.cunningham@amarillo.com, GREG. "Thornberry honors Reagan on House floor - Amarillo.com - Amarillo Globe-News". amarillo.com. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
5. "THORNBERRY, William McClellan (Mac) - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
6. "Thornberry talks issues, agenda with editorial board". Wichita Falls. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
7. CFR Membership List as of May 23, 2012. Available at http://www.cfr.org/about/membership/roster.html?letter=T
8. "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2015-08-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
10. "Congressman Mac Thornberry". thornberry.house.gov. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
11. "USA TODAY: Latest World and US News - USATODAY.com". USA TODAY. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
12. "Thornberry's Bill a Good Start on Acquisition Reform". Retrieved 23 June 2017.
13. Jr., Sydney J. Freedberg. "Thornberry Previews NDAA: Acquisition & Compensation Reform & NO New Reports". Retrieved 23 June 2017.
14. "The Clarendon Enterprise - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
16. "Mac Thornberry, Representative for Texas's 13th Congressional District". GovTrack.us.
17. "Mac has voted for limits over course of 9 terms". Retrieved 23 June 2017.
18. "Editorial: Farm bill brings crop of problems". Retrieved 23 June 2017.
19. ^ "House rejects farm bill as 62 Republicans vote no, area leaders vote yes". Retrieved 23 June 2017.
20. "Thornberry says, 'no more excuses' when it comes to domestic energy". Congressman Mac Thornberry. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
21. "Mac Thornberry on Energy & Oil". www.ontheissues.org. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
22. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-08-14. Retrieved 2015-08-14. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
24. "CNG Vs. Diesel Now A Fair Fight". www.theautochannel.com. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
25. "Congressman Mac Thornberry". thornberry.house.gov. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
26. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2015-08-14. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
27. "Column: Cyber inaction may be our Achilles' heel". 24 October 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
28. CNN, By Jennifer Rizzo. "Cybersecurity bill fails in Senate - CNNPolitics.com". CNN. Retrieved 23 June 2017. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
29. "Thornberry aims to crack down on synthetic drugs". Congressman Mac Thornberry. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
30. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
31. "Mac Thornberry's Ratings and Endorsements - The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
32. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
33. "Mac Thornberry's Ratings and Endorsements - The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
34. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
35. ^ "Mac Thornberry's Ratings and Endorsements - The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
36. The Median & Most Partisan Districts, 1998-2014 The Cook Political Report. October 9, 2013.
37. "Republican primary election returns, May 29, 2012". enr.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
38. "Big Country reps will keep their jobs, November 6, 2012". http://www.reporternews.com. Retrieved February 26, 2013. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
39. "Thornberry fends off challengers for House seat". Retrieved 23 June 2017.
40. ^ "HISTORICAL ELECTIONS - OFFICIAL RESULTS". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved 23 June 2017.

External links

• Congressman Mac Thornberry official U.S. House site
• Mac Thornberry for Congress
• Template:Dmoz
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart

v t e Chairs of the United States House Committee on Armed Services
Military Affairs Committee (1822–1947)	Eustis Hamilton Vance Hamilton Drayton R. Johnson McKay C. Johnson Thompson Dawson Stanly Haralson Botts Burt Bissell Benton Quitman Faulkner B. Stanton Blair Buffington Schenck Garfield Logan Coburn Banning Sparks Henderson Rosecrans Bragg Townshend Cutcheon Outhwaite Hull Hay Dent Kahn McKenzie Morin James Quin McSwain Hill May
Naval Affairs Committee (1822–1947)	Fuller Crowninshield Storrs Hoffman Anderson White Jarvis Ingham Thomas Wise Parmenter Holmes King F. Stanton Bocock Benson Bocock Morse Sedgwick Rice Pike Scofield Whitthorne Harris Cox Herbert Boutelle Herbert Cummings Geissenhainer Boutelle Foss Padgett Butler Britten Vinson
Armed Services Committee* (from 1947)	Andrews Vinson Short Vinson Rivers Philbin Hébert Price Aspin Dellums Spence Stump Hunter Skelton McKeon Thornberry Smith Rogers
Alternately named National Security in 104th and 105th Congresses.

• 1958 births
• 21st-century American politicians
• American Presbyterians
• Ranchers from Texas
• Living people
• Members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas
• People from Donley County, Texas
• Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives
• Texas Republicans
• Texas Tech University alumni
• United States Department of State officials